Reviews

Top 3
College FreshmanAustin Community College Cypress Creek, Cedar Park TX

There was a time earlier in my life that the subject Math was my favorite. Now Iím dreading learning a new formula or how to learn one thing, then a week later, forget it, but donít forget. In this particular selection there are study skills that help you remember, at least till you take the exam!

The three I favor the most are: Do math homework everyday. This insures that you donít forget. Secondly, write down questions for the instructor. Definitely want to find out what I donít know. Itís hard trying to figure out a math problem, get an answer and apply it to the rest of the problems, only to find out that Iím using the wrong process! Last, make time to study. I work two jobs, one part time, and one full time. I canít seem to find enough time to think, so making time to study, or planning time to study should I say is somewhat difficult. However, if I just sit down with my schedules, there is always 2-3 hrs every other day.

I really like the one about where it says the make note cards to remind yourself how to various math equations. I also like the one where it says do your math homework everyday.

Suggestions for Studying Math
College FreshmanAustin community college, cedar park

When I was in middle school, Math was one of my favorite subjects, but once I got into harder math, it slowly became my least favorite subject. I didnt know how to study it or even where to start. Well, the way this article broke down the problem solving and study skills, it made me feel like I have hope in math. I think anyone who struggles in math should read this article. It may really help you.

MATH
KCOOPER, College FreshmanACC, Austin

This review is very helpful because it is short and sweet. Straight to the point. I am already studying a ton for my math class and I do not want to have to study how to study for long periods of time. It is helpful because the main ideas are in bold so you can just skim through it real quick to refresh your memory.

Math is one of the subjects that most students have difficulties with it. Each individual might have different method for learning math.

I believe that one way to improve math study skill is to practice different types of problems and try not just to memorize the steps but to learn how to solve a problem. Also, those students who want to be successful have to practice as many problems as they can. The more a student practices, the more likely he/she will learn faster and will understand each problem better.

Besides practicing, I believe that organization is another important factor to improve math study skills. A student needs to be organized in writing math. This means that a problem should be written neatly and the steps should be organized. Writing neatly can help the reader to understand the solution and it helps the student when he/she is referring back to it for tests.

Another way to improve math study skills is to draw pictures and diagrams that would help the student to understand the concept. With the use of diagrams and picture, the student can have a visual sense of the problem too.

Suggestion for Math
College SophomoreCanada College, Redwood City, CA

This is really helpful! I agree with numbers 19 and 22. Whenever I'm taking notes, I always try to write step-by-step instructions on how to solve different types of equations. I also try to write down different examples on how to solve the various equations.

I have always been intrigued by math and its methods. It is simply amazing how much the mind is exercised and expanded by constantly doing math problems and exercises. But one thing that I have always come across with fellow students and some of my tutees, is that they will know the method needed to approach a problem, but have no idea why it is that way, and what is the reason for that method. This not only invalidates the point of the instruction or lesson, but also might hinder the student's comprehension which might come in handy when the difficulty of problems goes up. So it's always very important to understand not only how the method is applied but also why.

A good, straight-forward handout. Many of the tips I already use (such as taking extra notes on the difficult steps), but there are a few that I don't often think about. In particular, interviewing potential instructors, getting help early on, and scheduling a study session right after class would help a lot with creating an effective learning environment.

This is a great article that addresses a few key issues that many people have with math. In particular these are some very good tips:

“While doing homework, write down questions for the instructor/ tutor.” – Many times it is difficult to speak up in class and get help, however, in my experience it is even more challenging to try and dig your way out of a pit of bad scores and frustration. Actively participating in lectures is perhaps the most important math study skill – and probably the one that people forget about the most!
“Schedule a study period after your math class.” – Math is definitely a subject where practice makes perfect. This means that no practice makes…well, it isn’t pretty. Taking the time to do your math homework is crucial to your performance in the class! Even if HW isn’t worth much, without the practice your exam scores will likely suffer as well.

I have taken several math courses. Some of them I have thrived in and others I have not fared as well. I think that printing and going through all of the steps in this selection would be super helpful to students. Bring it to your tutor or study group if you have them (which in my opinion you should)!

Finally, a point that isn’t included is that math does not have to be torture. As children we are constantly exposed to communication, language, writing, and history which help to make these subjects a little more comfortable to study. Advanced math? We do not always have the opportunity to be so associated with the subject, and consequently tend to shiver at the thought of it. Math can truly be fun though, if you look at the problems as puzzles or games rather than impossible tasks, you can usually work through the problem in your own way and enhance your learning by doing so.

I read the article "Suggestions to Students for Improving Math Study Skills". This article pointed out a lot of good techniques for studying that I have done and found to be successful as well. One point they made was to relax before an exam. I have always gotten very stressed during exams I found that the stress more so than my breadth of knowledge effected my score. While the article points this out it doesn\'t necessarily indicate how one may go about avoiding this problem. However, I feel that recognizing that one has a problem with stress and a hard time relaxing during an exam can help to isolate the problem and allow the individual to work harder at fixing this dilemma.

Another point the article made that I agreed with and thought was an important aspect to being successful in a class, was to go through the more difficult problems in order to get a better understanding of the material. I always try to do the most difficult problems because those problems serve as a bench mark for one's understanding of the material. I have realized that often times more difficult problems are problems that require a deeper understanding of the material and a combination of the new material with older material. It is therefore quite beneficial to do more difficult problems in order to truly understand the material.

The article makes the point that it is important to speak with one's teacher and have questions prepared in order to ask that teacher. The teacher is often times one's most valuable resource, after all they are the ones that write the exams, so it is often a good idea to have good communication with one's teacher in order to know what to expect on an exam.

The article states that one should take thorough notes, which is something I personally find helpful and often do. Even if one doesn't expect the notes to be particularly helpful, the act of writing out the notes helps one be aware during the lecture and understand the material better. I have found these aspects of the article to be particularly applicable to such a situation.

This is a great article that is very simple to read and understand. If a student followed all 25 suggestions they would certainly succeed in math. The suggestion to get help early if you are lost is a great one. Math classes always build off of prior material so if you don't understand a concept you can get lost quickly. Getting help and staying on pace with the class is a great idea. The suggestion to read ahead and prepare questions for the instructor is another great tip.

Spending even a couple minutes reviewing the section that will be lectured on that day can make a large difference in what you get out of that class period. After reading the section the lecture will build on your understanding of the subject and allow you to ask questions on anything you are still concerned about. If you don't review before the class you are often in a position where you are just copying down notes but not understanding what they mean.

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